Weathering the Storm: The 1993 Mississippi Flood

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Boats and rafts replace cars along many of the flooded streets of this river town in Iowa.
Boats and rafts replace cars along many of the flooded streets of this river town in Iowa.
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After the 1993 Mississippi flood, Merry Anne Burrier and the neighbors she grew up with assembled for a community picnic.
After the 1993 Mississippi flood, Merry Anne Burrier and the neighbors she grew up with assembled for a community picnic.
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Merry Anne and family survey the damage of a neighbor's house who lives by the Des Moines River
Merry Anne and family survey the damage of a neighbor's house who lives by the Des Moines River

For much of the country, the 1993 Mississippi Flood is out of sight, out of mind. Headlines dropped from front pages as newspapers and magazines moved onto fresher, more timely tragedies. But throughout the Midwest, federal disaster relief has yet to come and the pace of disaster recovery is slow. Thousands are still struggling to get back on their feet.

More than 73,000 homes, 23 million farm acres, and $10 billion worth of flood damage has been done. Concerned about our subscribers who live in the nine states hit by the flood: Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, MOTHER EARTH NEWS called a number of them to find out how they were faring.

For some the flood meant a week without showering; for others it meant the loss of their home, their income, and virtually all of their personal belongings. While their stories varied dramatically, most subscribers had little faith in the federal government’s ability to help them out but a strong dedication to their community as a powerful resource. Despite the amount of devastation that occurred, not one of them had any intention of moving away from their town.

Below are the stories of three subscribers who have been busy cleaning up the damage and continuing to move forward. To all our recovering readers: we wish you luck and hope to hear how you’re doing.

Merry Anne Burrier of Leighton, Iowa

  • Published on Dec 1, 1993
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